jnrmac

Its also not fair comparing a recruiter that's rebuilding a side from the bottom up with great picks to someone who was trying to work with a football dept that saw themselves as being a contender. After 2000 the club worked out that we were never going to win a flag with Bizzell and Robbo at CHB and CHF. Too short. They looked at recruiting talls. And guess what it didn't work. Talls take longer to develop and we got unlucky. Smith, Molan a case in point. The 2003 draft was the worst in memory and we had picks 3 & 5. Bad luck. We picked up the best of an average lot. In 5 years sit back and reflect. That's when the answer will be. Personally I think we are better placed than at any time since 1988-90 but who am I to say.

I have painful memories of getting smashed in Rd 1 by a physical Hawthorn side in the past. Personally I would rather see an experienced line-up with maybe only one of the SA boys being introduced. It will of course depend in how the NAB cup goes. Next year is important for us to start well with 7 of the first 8 games at the 'G. If we can win 3 possibly 4 out of 7 it will go along way to setting up our season (Rich/North/WCE the best bets) with positive vibes. Hence its important we are super competitive against the Hawks in Rd 1.

I find it amusing that posters are get so excited by a raw prospect that is a 188-190cm midfielder/fwd. He may be fantastic but we have a couple already that I rate including a hard-bodied experienced Lynden Dunn. People don't say the same things about Dunny! Dunny has done some terrific tagging roles as well. It seems to me the coaching staff are playing him all over the place when most of us think he should play fwd. It must be 'newer is better' or something!

That'd be one large serving of humble pie?? Cream with that??

Good post. If it was so easy everyone would have picked Aaron Davey. Sometimes there are fads and conventional wisdom. If BP who has probably watched a few thousand hours of junior footy plus interviews etc reckons this kid is the goods then that's excellent by me.

For those worried about our fwd line I have a couple of points: 1. Garland will play fwd in 2010 (his set back is nowhere near as bad as people think) 2. Jamar can pinch hit fwd so can Martin 3. Fitzpatrick is a super fast tall that can play fwd. 4. Wona, Jurrah, Watts, Green, Petterd and Dunn with the talls is a fwd line that will be hard to match up on and will give us a lot of versatility and 5. Neitz and Robbo did quite nicely with pzzzzpoor delivery over many years. We will at last have some elite mids coming through who can put it lace out. Strauss, Maric, Tapscott, Trengove, Davey, Blease and possibly Scully will feed the fwds for years to come. Bring it on.

A quote from Demonology where one poster attended a lunch with Chris Connolly. "Garland had a set back but nowhere as serious as some would have you believe." He will play forward in 2010 Music to my ears as I had been thinking Matthew Egan with the metascarpal whatever.

Great work people.Thanks.

Tapscott will be a gun going by his UTube footage. Cross between Riccuito and Rich. Outstanding kick.

Looks like a cross between Riccuito and Rich. You tube footage outstanding!! Very happy. Can roost it 60m

What will his salary do to other loyal players like Davey????

I'm not actually sure that Bailey can coach. I like the off field stuff and the discipline stuff but I have yet to see how he wants this team to play. With Knights it was pretty obvious what he was trying to do. Bailey I'm not so sure.

A story in The AGE today says Ball hasn't spoken to Ess or allowed himself to be medically assessed. What gives? One of his "preferred" destinations?? And Connolly said Ball's manager had requested a meeting yet apparently no meeting has taken place. Ball at the very least should be investigated for draft tampering. If you nominate for the draft surely there must be some obligation on you to submit to medical tests etc. I smell Filth. And if he decides to stand out of footy for a year as has been intimated through Hutchy's column then he should be banned for life.

I think Trengove will slide from 1 to 2

He's said nothing and refused to meet with us. What does that tell you? He is trying to scare everyone off and get to the Filth. It won''t happen. He'll be long gone by Pick 30.

Pretty interesting he hasn't spoken to us given that he knows we are very willing. Reading between the lines his Dad seems to have gotten into his ear about spending another four years in a club that's building for a flag. Given the Aints got Reiwoldt and Kosi in 2000(?) its taken them 9 seasons to get this far. Can understand he doesn't want to do that again. But the Filth? They are going nowhere. Still they might deserve each other

Ball will speak to Melbourne because he needs to exert some pressure on St Kilda who can lose him for nothing. It should by rights increase pressure on the Saints to come to terms with Luke. What I found particularly interesting was that on the Saintsational fan site I could hardly find Ball's name mentioned. So it appears their supporters aren't kicking up too much of a fuss whether he stays or goes. That weakens his bargaining position wit the Saints. And of course we have all the bases covered in the ND and PSD. This is a game of blink. As if they would play it out in the media.

Gee, I thought the same about Jeff White when the ruck rule cruelled his run and leap. But he never seemed to make the transition. Had ALL the attributes. And we've seen what happened - become adaptable or become de-listed. By the way PJ's kicking for goal is not good.

If he's seen everyone else and he's seen Trengove and Scully on a number of occasions then he's already done his homework. Give him some credit. You think he should watch him play school football too?

Luke and his manager have requested to meet with the Dees next week. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/demo...f-1225791493885

Luke Ball is out of contract. Period. They offered him a 3 year deal which they withdrew after trade week. If they lose him its their own fault. It IS actually up to us to convince Luke to come to Melbourne. We can do that because we can guarantee to draft him with PSD1. Others can say we will take you with pick 26/34/etc but we are the only ones (asided from the Saints who might still convince him to stay) that can guarantee it.

Its clear they wanted someone who was unlikely to be available at 6!

He struggled as he had a knee injury which he only shook off in the last 6 weeks. suggest you look at his form in the last 6 weeks which was in fact very good.

My recollection is that St Kilda commented after the draft that they chose Reiwoldt 1st because of the pressure/expectation thing and that Nick was better prepared mentally to deal with it. If Jack Watts wasn't mentally tough it would have been difficult dealing with the tripe that was directed at him during the year. I believe the club will consider that part of the equation when selecting 1 & 2. But from what I've read they would both be worthy and would both deal with it well. One small consideration might be Trengove and the go home factor. As a No 1 it might make it more difficult for him to return home given the deluge of press coverage and profile he would get as No 1. Just a hunch of mine.

Because they are the standout players in the draft. Should become elite. We don't have any of those mids. Haven't for as long as I can remember - I'm talking Buckley, Voss elite.